Journal Entry (Part I)

Date: Wednesday October 1, 2014

Time: 6:30pm to 9pm
Total Hours Played: 2.5 hours
Game: Magic the Gathering
Game Description: I am part of a club at the comic store called Collectors Corner. Every
Wednesday night we meet to play a version of the game called EDH. EDH is a 100 card deck
and no card can be the same which is the challenge but after of 21 years of existence there is
enough cards out there for me to make my own original decks. In the game you start off with
40 life and the goal of the game is to get your opponents life down to zero. In a typical game
of EDH there is 4 players and the average game last an hour to an hour and half.
Experiences during Game Play: While I was playing the game I felt particularly competitive
because I had just made my new deck and wanted to prove to people that it was good. During
the game I was much immersed, quiet, and constantly focusing on my strategy. For instance I
noticed a win combo that I had, but I knew I had to wait for the right time before my turn
started so my opponents were less likely to counter (cancel) the combo. Despite the occasional
laughter between friends these games become very intense. Yes the time during these games
flew so quickly. I even forget that I was hungry even though there was food in the room. The
emotions throughout the game was stress, but yet enjoyment for the love of the game.
Current Progress Update in Game: My current progress would be after a year of playing I am
familiar with the cards, but since this game is very old I wish I was more familiar of the game.
There is not defined levels to the game of Magic the Gathering, but there is experience. I would
say that I am a moderate player. My friends Kevin and Andreas, I would say that they are more
skilled and each week they compete for store credit sometimes reaching up to $75 in one night
by just playing something they love. In this particular game I played against them and another
friend which can be very challenging. Despite my unsure thinking, I was able to beat them just
barely, but it still counts as a win. I feel that playing with more experienced people I can
continue to progress in the game.
Perceived Learning: I am learning to be very focused in the game. I learned that concentration
is key to success and even the smallest distraction can make me win or lose. This skill is
important in real life when focusing on homework. I learn indirectly from Magic the Gathering
the skill of socializing. I tend to be a very quiet person, but since playing this game I have gained
more confidence in myself. I believe this skill is crucial because it helps me explain myself
better.

Journal Entry II (Part I)

Date: Wednesday October 8, 2014
Time: 6:30pm-9pm
Total Hours Played: 2.5 hours

Game: Magic the Gathering

Game Description: I am part of a club at the comic store called Collectors Corner. Every
Wednesday night we meet to play a version of the game called EDH. EDH is a 100 card deck
and no card can be the same which is the challenge but after of 21 years of existence there is
enough cards out there for me to make my own original decks. In the game you start off with
40 life and the goal of the game is to get your opponents life down to zero. In a typical game
of EDH there is 4 players and the average game last an hour to an hour and half.
In this particular night there is a competition to whoever wins their randomly 4 person
match tonight will be able to compete in the next Wednesday EDH club to potentially win a
stack of rare cards that everyone betted tonight.

Experiences during Game Play: During the game today I was feelings nervous because I wanted
to win. I felt unsure and at one point and I almost lost all confidence. I was randomly assigned
to play a game with my friends Joe and Thomas. Joe during most of the game had control over
my friend and I. Thomas and I both have mostly newer cards that tend to have less broken rules
then those which was printed in the early 1990s. Since this was a more competitive game I was
much immersed in the game. Yes our game lasted the whole entire 2 and half hours which is
insane and during that whole time I was lost in time, not even standing up or taking a break of
any kind. I felt very engaged from the enjoyment I get from the game and the friendships keep
me constantly engaged never a hint of boredom. During the game I felt defeated, but towards
the end I played a card called wash out which makes me return particular cards back into my
opponents hands. After that point I was able to defeat Joe and then eventually Thomas.
Current Progress Update in Game: So my progress in my game is based on my experience of
course, so playing for only a year is by no far competition of whomever has played the game for
21 years. After playing the game, I had beat Joe and Thomas. I was surprised that the people I
dont know as well were shocked that I had beaten them based on am my experience and no
one wants to lose to the only girl in the room. I feel like my hard work of creating my deck paid
off. I am now positioned to play the final match with the 3 other winners of tonight. I am still
struggling on how I can reconstruct my deck into playing the best it can for next Wednesdays
game. As a Magic the Gathering player we put hours into the construction of the decks which
makes it highly competitive, but at the same time very original. I feel like if I watched more
videos of Magic the Gathering games and go online and search for cards I will be able to be
even better. Also I need to become more familiar with my combinations of how to beat my
opponents.
Perceived Learning: During the game I learned to be more competitive. I also learned that this
is something I love to do. Being competitive takes that extra motivation to play the game. An
indirect way that I learn is the presence of grit. Not to give up even though we lose or feel
lost. This learning skill of having grit, is crucial when I am in school.

Journal Entry III (Part I)

Date: Wednesday October 15, 2014

Time: 6:30pm to 9pm

Total Hours Played: 2.5 hours
Game: Magic the Gathering
Game Description: I am part of a club at the comic store called Collectors Corner. Every
Wednesday night we meet to play a version of the game called EDH. EDH is a 100 card deck
and no card can be the same which is the challenge but after of 21 years of existence there is
enough cards out there for me to make my own original decks. In the game you start off with
40 life and the goal of the game is to get your opponents life down to zero. In a typical game
of EDH there is 4 players and the average game last an hour to an hour and half.
Tonight is the night that the top four including me, get to play together to see who
wins the stack of rare Magic the Gathering cards everyone had pitched in to play last
Wednesday.
Experiences during Game Play: During this particular game I was nervous, everyone wanted to
know who was going to win so people were watching us. My friends could see my hand, but
couldnt give any advice, so the strategy making was on me. I was much immersed into the
game, but until I got to the point where I knew that my friend, Nathan was going to win with
this crazy combo. During most of the game I was very successful in combat, but I couldnt gain
enough life to keep up with what damage I was taking to my life. I felt happy and relieved when
the game finished, despite me getting 2nd. I still saw it as a personal achievement. I beat Cody
and Jon so I was very content. I gloated a little too because I did better then what people
expected me to do based on my experience.
Current Progress Update in Game: In this game I got placed 2nd out of 15 people. I am working
on placing first in the next tournament, but that will take time and practice. I still need to get
more win combos for my deck and not to get as nervous when I play the game competitively. It
is always intimidating when people are watching your moves, although the feedback after the
game is always helpful. In the game I need to stop from getting so nervous and not to give up
towards the end even when I know I will still loose. Once I gain more confidence in the game I
will do much better.
Perceived Learning: The game allows me to be more confident in my decision making even
when people are watching my moves. As a very shy person sometimes making decisions can be
hard, because I am worried that people will say I am wrong or what not. Since I started playing
this game I have learned to be more confident of my own opinions. I have learned that I need
to believe in myself which applies very directly to the real world. For example, I had to pick
which major, everyone said I should be a nurse, but I said I wanted to do something that took
my interest like psychology.

Journal Entry IV (Part I)

Date: Wednesday October 22, 2014
Time: 6:30pm-9pm

Total Hours Played: 2.5 hours

Game: Magic the Gathering
Game Description: I am part of a club at the comic store called Collectors Corner. Every
Wednesday night we meet to play a version of the game called EDH. EDH is a 100 card deck
and no card can be the same which is the challenge but after of 21 years of existence there is
enough cards out there for me to make my own original decks. In the game you start off with
40 life and the goal of the game is to get your opponents life down to zero. In a typical game
of EDH there is 4 players and the average game last an hour to an hour and half.
The games that was held tonight was more casual.
Experiences during Game Play: I was trying to have fun with my friends, meanwhile still
strategizing so I can try to beat them. I was immersed, but often times I got distracted because
tonight everyone was goofing off. I ate half of a pizza so I was distracted because I ate way too
much. Despite everything happening, I still felt that time was flying by because I was having so
much fun hanging out with my friends. I was engaged at times but at other times no. When I
was trading cards during a losing game I was not as focused as I should have been. I enjoy my
friends so much and feel so lucky to have found this game that unites with this common
interest. The social aspect is apparent when you play Magic the Gathering.
Current Progress Update in Game: Like I said in an earlier journal it is hard to base what level I
am. I guess I would still say I am a moderate player, because I am still getting familiar with
cards. I still want to become more experienced, so I can become an even better Magic the
Gathering player and maybe even play competitively. I guess an obvious struggle is that Magic
the Gathering takes a lot of my time going to comic book stores three nights a week plus the
Towson Magic the Gathering club I attend. The game can become very overwhelming. I think
spending more time focused on the game, playing in more competitions, and getting continued
advice from my friends will further my status in the game.
Perceived Learning: From the game I feel like I am becoming a better critical thinker because of
all the strategizing. I see the game like chess, which each move is planned ahead of time. I learn
indirectly from the game how to be more social able. The game really has pushed me with each
time I enter a tournament or even at EDH club meeting people I normally would not talk to. I
feel that this has positively impacted this part of my life, allowing me to create these strong
connections with people who have now become some of my best friends. I feel that critical
thinking skills are very important to have in the real world, to be able to think deeply allows for
a more understanding. Being able to be pushed into this social group I have learned to be more
open when meeting new people and not judging them for who they are.